The Fiery Spark of Determination and Epic Valor of “Abd al-Aziz Tha’alibi” (Part Three)
His Books
Tha’alibi wrote few books, but he authored many articles. He wrote the books “The Free Spirit of the Quran” and “Tunisia Martyr” in French and also wrote “The Miracle of Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah” in Arabic. He wrote hundreds of articles in both Arabic and French, and his lectures were published in the journal of Al-Bayt University in Baghdad from 1926 to 1928.
Views of Thinkers and Contemporaries on Tha’alibi
Mahmoud Zaki Pasha:
“I was deeply impressed by his unparalleled intelligence, eloquence, and abundant information, as well as the breadth of Islamic feelings that he possessed. He always spoke eloquently in Arabic.”
Muhammad Lotfi Juma:
“He had a high family origin, and his opinions were always influential not only in Tunisia but also in all of North Africa.”
Hamed Maliji, writer of Al-Balagh magazine:
“At the Quds Conference, Tha’alibi was an epic orator. He considered the history of Islam from the beginning until he reached the current situation of Muslims and called on those present to work to restore the former status of the Islamic countries. He urged them not to forget the past and cry for it, but to get down to work and build the future.”
Marouf Al-Rasafi, Iraqi poet:
“He was the greatest orator in the Arabic language that this century has seen.”
Muhammad Abu al-Fath, Al-Siyasah Al-Mursiyya magazine, 16/5/1926:
“Tha’alibi’s position in Tunisia was like that of Sa’ad Zaghloul in Egypt. I will never forget how in Paris in 1919, he darkened the heavens and the earth over the French for the liberation of Tunisia, to the point that the French freedom fighters demonstrated against the French colonial policy.”
Muhammad Fazel bin Ashour, a contemporary scholar:
“Abdul Aziz Tha’alibi was one of the Muslim mujahedeen who emerged during the occupation of Islamic countries. This generation of mujahedeen was neither political leaders, journalists, writers, nor social figures; rather, all these characteristics were gathered together in their personalities, enabling them to resist the occupation of foreigners.”
Professor Abul Qasim Muhammad Karro:
“I do not think that any of the Tunisian fighters, nor the scientific and political leaders, have left behind such a legacy that its effects are visible in Asia and the Islamic world.”
It is surprising that a figure like Tha’alibi should be forgotten in this way. This is indicative of the lack of Muslim cultural circles in this field. Tha’alibi’s only contribution was a memorial service held in Tunisia in 1989, forty-five years after his death.
Tha’alibi’s Views and Theories
He worked hard throughout his fruitful life to achieve his goals. Among his goals were:
• Creating a deep faith in freedom;
• Rejecting artificial borders among Islamic countries;
• Advocating teamwork, which was a very new and original view at the time;
• Calling for the creation of specializations in various scientific, economic, political, and cultural fields.
• Educating generations based on Islam and Islamic culture, which Tha’alibi believed was the only way to rid Islamic lands of occupiers.
• Advocating renewal and fighting against stagnation and violations in universities and scientific institutions, as well as promoting intellectual freedom.
